Hand-car.



No. 787,381 PATBNTED APR. 18, 1905. P. J. KAMPER.

HAND GAR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'i No. 787,381.

Patented April 18, 1905.

IVINTTED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

PAUL J. KAMPER, OF SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

HAND-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming4 part of Letters Patent NO. 787,381, dated April18, 1905.

Application filed August 24, 1904. Serial No. 222,001.

manually-operated type, and has particular 1 IO reference to theactuating mechanism to overcome numerous disadvantages heretoforeencountered in devices of this class.

One of the special features of construction in the present invention isthe adaptability of 5 application thereof to hand-cars now in usethrough the medium of adjustable means consisting' of a screw-threadedconnection between the primary actuating means and the driving` deviceto accommodate a variation in .F vertical extent of the gallows withrespect to the main driving or master gear, thus providing for economyin the substitution of the several parts in the event of wear by reasonof the fact that a new rack-bar only will be required to be replaced orapplied in old constructions without affecting the usefulness orpractical operation of the driving' mechanism controlled by the saidrack-bar. lIn the present instance a double iacl;l)ar is used, or, inother words, a bar having rack-teeth on opposite sides, and the latteris adjustably connected to talte up wear with a crank attachment foroperating' the master-gear. A\Ieshing with the rack-bar arespecially-constructed reversible gears or actuating' ele ments which maybe turned or revolved in their supporting means to bring' new surfacesor parts in cooperation with the opposite teeth of the rack-bar, andthereby prolong' the service of the said primary mechanism. 'I`he g'carelements in the present construction are inclosed by or held betweenheaddisks, to which operating-levers or hand-bars are attached, and theadvantage derived, from an economical standpoint, in this direction isthat the said head-disks may be released from the gear elements and thelatter turned to bring' new portions thereof in connection with therack-bar and at the same time conline the rack-bar in accurateregistration with the teeth of the gear elements and thus insure a.positive actuation of the main or master g'ear. By the presentconstruction and arrangement of rack-bar and actuating-gear operativesand those occupying the hand-car will be protected from injury in viewof the fact that the rack-bar is guarded or held between the head-disksand in such position with respect to the gallows in such manner as toprevent engagement with the clothing' or body parts of those adjacentthereto.

In the drawings, Figure I isa side elevation of a hand-car embodyinglthe features of the invention. Fig'. is a longitudinal vertical sectionof the same. Fig'. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of thehand-bars and the hcaddisl{s attached thereto. Fig'. I isa detailperspective view of one of the gear elements, which is reversiblydisposed in the hand-bars.

Similarnumerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingpartsin the several views.

The numeral I designates a hand-carframe of the usual construction, butin the present instance is preferably formed with side and end bars Qand 3, an intermediate cross-bara, and longitudinal supporting-bars 5.In suitable bearings (i, secured to the side bars, rotatable axles T aremounted and have thereon traclt.- wheels 8. 'Ihe one axle has securedthereto a pinion 9 for driving' purposes, and meshing' therewith is aspur or master gear I0, mounted on a crank-shaft Il, held bythesupporting-bars Rising from the supporting-bars 5 isa g'allows-frame l2,suitably braced and strengthened to compensate for the strain brought tobear thereon in the operation of the mechan ism for propelling thehand-car. On the g'allows-frame 12 bearing' or cap bars I3 are securedand receive the shafts 1I, lixed to gear elements I5, which are confinedin longitudinal alinement between the upper portions of thegallows-frame or the bearing'or cap bars. Ihe gearelements I1 compriseopposite headdisks I5, removably secured to gears 16 and also havingattached thereto the yolted ends IT of hand-bars IS. l`he gear elementsare spaced apart from each other a sufficient dislOO tance tooperatively receive between them a double rack-bar 19, adjustablyconnected to a rod or connecting-bar 20, attached to the crank of theshaft l1, the lower end of the double rack-bar being provided withascrewthreaded socket 2l to receive the upper screwthreaded extremityoi"the rod or connectingbar 20. By this means the rod or connecting-bar isrendered adjustable to accommodate the application of the operatingmechanism to hand-cars now in use and also to take Aup wear of theseveral parts to insure a positive stroke or operation of the rod. Itwill be observed that the connecting rod or bar is direct-acting withrespect to the master-gear, and in the event that the gear elementsmeshing with the double rack-bar become worn the said elements may bereversed in view of the fact that they are secured solely by screws 22passing through the head-disks l5 into the gears 16, which may beremoved when desired. The yoked ends 17 of the hand-bars are countersunkin the head-disks of the gear elements, as at 23, and the terminals ofsaid yoked ends loosely bear on the shafts for the gear elements. Thisarrangement provides for a strong assemblage of the several parts andalso insures a positive operation.

It will be understood that the platform of the car may be composed ofboards or planks of the usual thickness adopted in hand -carconstructions and arranged to -provide the necessary or mostplatform-space possible within a minimum surface area.

The circular form of the gears which are held in continual mesh with thedouble rackbar makes it possible to oscillate the latter without breakor irregularity, and, furthermore, the head-disks confining the gearsmaintain the rack-bar in positive perpendicular position and obstructthe latter vfrom moving laterally or sidewise, with material advantagein the avoidance of lost motion by impositive contact.

It will be observed that operators grasping the opposite hand-bars andimparting motion to the gears and the disk-heads will cause the verticalreciprocation of the rack-bar and connecting-rod attached thereto andresult in a reliable rotation of the master-gear and the pinionconnected to one of the car-axles. In the present instance themastergear with which the rack-bar directly operates is of materiallygreater diameterthan the pinion on one of the car-axles held incontinual mesh therewith, and by this means a regular rotation oi" themaster-gear under normal speed conditions will cause a materiallygreater rotation of the pinion and axle to which it is attached, withobvious advantages in propulsion. Furthermore, the hand-car embodyingthe features of the present invention is of a light, strong, and durablenature, and the same principle and construction might l be readilyembodied in a construction of greater magnitude by varying theproportions, dimensions, and minor details.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new is--l. In a hand-car, the combination of a frame having wheeled axles, oneof the axles carrying a pinion, a master-gear meshing with the pinion, acrank-shaft on which the mastergear is disposed, a gallows rising Jfromthe frame, a connecting-rod attached to thecrank of the shaft on whichthe master-gear is mounted, the connecting-rod being movable directlyover the one face of the master-gear, a double rack-bar attached to theupper extremity of the connecting-rod, and prime operating means held bythe gallows and engaging opposite sides of the rack-bar.

2. In a hand-car, the combination of a frame having wheeled axles, oneof the axles having a pinion thereon, a master-gear held by the frameand meshing with the pinion, a double rack-bar for operating themaster-gear, and prime operating means supported above the frame andmeshing with the opposite sides of the rack-bar, the rack-bar and thesaid prime operating means being adjustable to take up wear.

3. In a hand-car, the combination of a frame having wheeled axles, agallows supported thereon, reversible gears held on the gallows, adouble rack-bar movably disposed between and held in continual mesh withthe gears, and driving mechanism for one of the axles and to which thesaid rack-bar is attached.

4. In a hand-car, the combination of a frame having wheeled axles,driving mechanism held by the frame and one of the axles, a doublerack-bar attached to a part of the driving mechanism, reversible gearssupported above the frame and engaging the opposite sides of therack-bar, heads movably attached to the gears, and hand-bars havinginner yoked extremities engaging the heads.

5. The combination with a hand-car having driving mechanism for one ofthe axles, of a double rack-bar movably connected to a part of thedriving mechanism, reversible gears held above the driving mechanism inclose mesh with the opposite Sides of the rack-bar, and means foroperating the gears to actuate the rack-bar.

6. The combination with a hand-car having driving mechanism cooperatingwith one of the axles thereof, of a gallows thereon, gears having fixedshafts terminally held on the upper portion of the gallows, a doublerack-bar movably disposed between the said gears and connected to a partor' the driving mechanism, heads movably applied to opposite portions ofthe gears and operating to maintain the rack-bar in true verticalposition, and handbars having inner yoked extremities let into the headsand provided with terminals engaging the shafts.

f` 'IL 7. The combination with a hand-car having actuating mechanism forone of the axles thereof, of a double rack-bar connected to a part ofthe said mechanism, gears held above the mechanism and engaging oppositesides of the rack-bar, heads removably and rotatably mounted againstopposite sides of the gears, and hand-bars connected to the heads.

b. In a hand car, the combination of a wheeled frame having' axles, oneof the axles being provided with a pinion, a crank-shaft mounted in aportion of the frame, a mastergear eentiall)Y connected to thecrank-shaft, a double rack-bar attached to the crank of the said shaftand movable over one side of the master-gear, and gear elements heldabove the mechanism and engaging the opposite sides of the rack-bar,said gear elements conlining the rack-bar between them and having'projecting-heads extending over the teeth of the rack-bar engaging thesam'e to prevent Contact therewith, of adjacent members.

In testimongv whereotl l have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

PAU L J. KAMPEH.

lVitnesses:

C. WV. TAYLOR, M. C. BUTLER.

